Heart of Gé

Virtual reality (3-Dimensional) painting (created using OpenBrush / TiltBrush).
Supernature:Simulacra solo exhibition. Pretoria Art Museum. 2022

The work invites the viewer to be immersed in a circular walk-through of a three dimensional forest that was created in virtual reality. It consists of a combination of three dimensionally painted plants, AI-generated hybrid species and two-dimensional sections of oil paintings. The artist recorded herself walking through this lush, hybrid forest that becomes a portal of sorts. An infinite journey through the heart of the earth (Gaia: Gé).

Supernature: Simulacra as a body of work is a deepening of Andrea du Plessis’ research into
the sublime experience and our complex relationship with nature in an age marked by
technological augmentation and simulation. As an extension of the Supernature series Du
Plessis began in 2020, her current body of work explores the integration of emerging
technologies with traditional oil painting to create interactive, immersive realms.

As a species living in the Anthropocene Era, we are currently questioning our environmental
impact, becoming more aware of our interconnectivity with the web of life that sustains us.
Simultaneously, humanity’s quest for technological advancement encourages us to spend
more time in digital space, changing the way we access and experience nature.

By juxtaposing the Romantic tradition of landscape painting with emerging technologies,
Supernature: Simulacra aims to create a link between nineteenth century and contemporary
representations and experiences of nature while offering the viewer an opportunity to
consider our interconnectivity with the natural world. Through the use of augmented
reality, virtual reality and artificial intelligence, it examines the contemporary sublime
experience – the technological sublime – whilst aiming to create a new, hybrid form of
nature, techno-nature.